Do I need a Zig Unit?

[wackos00]

I have been reading up all about electical systems for the camper and I am still undisided as to what i need, seam to keep going round in circles.

I am self building my bus into a camper and maninly wild camp ie no hookup, however sometimes i do have hook up capable and I have a genorator which I bring along if Im going away for a long time.

I have a good leasure batt, and basicaly I have set up everything so they run off that. Computer - 12v adaptor from maplins, 15" LCD tv - 12v adaptor from maplins, interial camping lights - 12v. My recent perchase is a 3 way fridge I got yesterday, I got the WAECO CombiCool CAS-60, this fridge has a standard 3 pin plug and to change to 240 from 12 you physicaly have to flick a swithch.

What I have come to realise is that what I want from my hook up is to run the fridge, (with my flicking the swithc), charge my leasure battary and have a standard 3 pin socket somewhere in the van.

What is the best way of doing this, is there a cheap way?

Cheers, in advance!

[BigTam]

Fit a split charge relay, check this out,

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ca ... it_charger

[RachelDaisy]

Hello,
what about getting a mains charger? This will let you charge up your leisure battery while on the EHU. Or from home before the trip. They are standard on caravans. They are cheaper than fitting a zig unit.

Not sure about fitting the rest of the electrics. We took ours to a local caravan/camper place and they did the work as well as some other internal stuff such as re-sighting the gas so it was easier to let them do it all at the same time with no risk of me and the OH blowing up or burning down the van!!

[kevtherev]

yes there is always a cheap way...it depends on your level of competence with power management...and tolerance of using stuff not deigned for campers.

you can use a *Tronic T4X or *C-TEK leisure charger wired permanently to the battery, and permanently wired to the Hooky
it has to be visible to manually start the charging.

a "zig" unit would do this automatically.

*C-TEK mxs3600

[wackos00]

Cheers BigTam, I was going to fit a split relay, to charge the leisure when driving anyway, so that sould be cool, its just the 240 side of things im not so sure of. RachelDaisy, I was thinking of a maiins charger but wasnt sure if it would be ok. if everything is running of the LB then would having a mains charger charging the LB be ok for the 12v electrical systems?

[wackos00]

Kev, do you get chargers that is always in the on position so if you plug it in it comes on automaticaly?

[RachelDaisy]

Yes the mains charger will charge up your LB so you can use your 12v equipment. Just plug the EHU into the side of your van and it will start charging. Why don't you take it to a place that does caravan/camper electrics and see what they suggest. You don't need to get them to do it. They would be better at explaining than me.

Our van already had 240v and 12v fittings but no leisure battery, Zig unit or charger of any kind when we got it. So we put the leisure bat and charger in at the same time and had the 12v socket and lights rewired to the new battery. We didn't get a zig unit fitted and manage fine. It does all comply with current safety rules and has trip switches, RCD (?) etc.

[AngeloEvs]

Leisure vehicle chargers should not exceed 13.8V in order to prevent the battery 'gassing'. The down side to this is that the leisure battery never fully charges until you drive and the alternator then provides the full charge of 14.8V. Mains chargers are designed to fully charge a battery at around 14.5V. I have used three stage mains chargers in my van but my leisure battery compartment is ventilated and not in the usual place behind the passenger seat.

[Mocki]

proper leisure batterys are vented with a pipe which you can exit out of the van.

a intellgent charger hard wired to the hookup ( either through a junction box or more resonably through a standard 3pin plug) through a switch on the 12v side so you can switch between batterys, coupled with a good switchmode 12v power supply relay switched so that as soon as you connect to the hookup it switches alll the 12v stuff from the leisure battery to the power supply is all you need....... when ever you hook up, the power supply supplys alll the 12v gear, the battery charger tops up the leisure battery and nothing runs from battery for the duration you are hooked up so the battery gets a proper rest and recuperation period.... all stuff you can buy from maplins, and all simple stuff to do, but sooo much better than a zig, which will charge your battery at such a slow rate, and over charge it if you leave it on too long , but never give you enough power to keep up up with demand.

The only things in my van which work on mains when im hooked up are two sockets ( one for the fan heater- one spare) the battery charger, the fridge, and the 12v power supply, everything else is 12v, so im totally self sufficient alll the time, there is no point in having two sets of lighting and two ways of powering the tv, ect, when one will do it just as well......

[DiscoDave]

or to save the farting about factor use one of these,


long link

does everything steve has just said, onw switch swaps between chraging van battery, leisure battery and just running the 12v stuff. it's brilliant!

[wackos00]

thanks for your replies, Disco dave your unit it will run all 12v stuff from the 240 mhu? ei it will convert 240AC to 12DC and you just wire in your 12V stuff? Also when its on MHU it will charge either your LB or Starter Bat with the flick of a switch on the unit? But when not on mhu it will draw power from your LB to power the 12V stuff? If this is the case recon Ill be spending another £160 this week! I take it I will still need a Split charge relay as well